


Soaring

by ladymacbethsspot



Series: Bottom Erwin Week 2018 [3]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Creature Fic, Explicit Sexual Content, Interspecies Romance, Interspecies Sex, M/M, Romantic Fluff, an ouroboros of fingering if you will, i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-25
Updated: 2018-05-25
Packaged: 2019-04-27 18:49:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14431875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladymacbethsspot/pseuds/ladymacbethsspot
Summary: Under the upturned bowl of the endless blue sky stands a contradiction of a man: a familiar stranger.Erwin is captivated by this man and struggles to place his memory while they grow closer.





	1. Tentative

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Day 4 of Bottom Erwin Week 2018, using the prompt "Bruises/Markings/Bites". I chose to re-interpret this as more along the lines of markings and scars.
> 
> Find me on [Tumblr](https://ladymacbethsspot.tumblr.com/) where I reblog Eruris, garbage, and post occasional writing (that ends up here).

There was something oddly familiar about the man who stood at the canyon’s edge, draped over the metal rail, staring into the sky beyond. His shoulders were drawn up high, a short, black leather jacket bunched around them. Arms folded below his chin, sticking out like dark leather-clad wings in front of him.

Erwin briefly mused on the man’s presence. He liked coming here on the weekends to run the trails. One of the perks of living so far away from everything was the great outdoors. And he saw a lot of people on his runs. Perhaps he’d seen this man before.

That was impossible though. He’d remember such narrow hips, such a shapely ass perched above sinfully muscular thighs.

Turning away reluctantly, Erwin collected his thoughts and took a deep breath. He was going for a run. He was only halfway though. The familiar, painfully attractive man would have to wait until he’d finished another 3 miles. By then he’d probably be long gone anyway, no longer there to tempt Erwin with tight jeans and a thin strip of pale skin the hem of his t-shirt didn’t quite cover. Picking up his pace and settling back into the rhythm of sneakers on the dirt, Erwin jogged off, passing behind the man at the outlook and continuing on down the trail that snaked into the canyon.

It was a gorgeous day for running, and the feeling of pulling clean, juniper-scented air into his lungs coupled with the stunning scenery of paintbrush-thin horizontal marks made on weathered rock walls soon put the man from Erwin’s mind. He didn’t have time or space inside to concentrate on anything more than his body and moving forward. Red dust coated his sneakers in a fine layer as he ran on, checking his watch to gauge how much further he had.

The way down the canyon was always much easier than the way up, something Erwin had learned long ago, so he allowed himself to rest in the shade of a gnarled pine before beginning his ascent. Catching his breath and taking a gulp of water from the bottle he carried, Erwin looked down and across the vast fissure in the ground. The bottom lay far below, distant enough that falcons crossed between jutting rock walls and circled at a lower altitude than where Erwin stood. Black silhouettes of spread wings, dark against the colorful rocks. It never stopped amazing Erwin, how well he could see details, the perfect illusion of nearness created by the high-desert air, free of smog and vapor, baked clean by burning sun in the furnaces of rock.

A falcon dove, and Erwin held his breath, watching its free-fall. Its wings folded expertly, body an arrow pointed at the ground. It disappeared, his view obscured by trees and distance. When the bird reappeared, flapping with its quarry, Erwin finally exhaled. With renewed vigor he began to ascend, feet eating up the ground at a steady pace.

Perhaps the falcon’s flight had been a sign- when Erwin crested the last rise at the trail’s head and stepped onto the concrete slab of the outlook, the familiar man was still there. He stood, in the same place as before, this time leaning on the metal rail with his back to the canyon. Dark bangs fell back from his upturned face, the bright sun making pale skin even whiter. Erwin stood for a moment, hands on his hips as he let the exertion fall from his muscles and his heartbeat slow. The man’s shoulders and neck were thicker than Erwin had expected, broad muscle hidden by the way he’d folded himself over the railing earlier. He was also much smaller than Erwin had thought, the physique that had been so distracting had also hid the man’s height- the top of his head looked to be about shoulder height.

Whatever made him so familiar was impossible to place, and Erwin’s mind drifted while he stared. To the dark form of the circling bird of prey, the outstretched wings ending in spread feathers. The thought came unbidden, and when the man moved, locking eyes with Erwin, he froze. Unable to look away, to hide his surprise, to pretend he hadn’t been caught. The man’s chin was sharp, his brows severe, and a silver, barely-raised scar ran down one cheek, ending along his jaw. Grey eyes searched his own before the man turned away, gazing back into the canyon and ignoring Erwin’s presence.

The feeling of familiarity had only strengthened when Erwin saw the man’s face, and he found that his mind now required answers. He approached the man, joining him at the railing.

“I know this is weird, but I swear I’ve seen you somewhere before.”

The man realized he was being addressed, Erwin could see his shoulders twitch before he turned.

“Do you know me?” Asking the question bothered Erwin, he wasn’t one to forget a face, but he had to know. He was finished running and there were no excuses left.

“I do.” The man’s level gaze found him, as intense and unforgiving as the sun overhead. “You’re Erwin.”

Nodding dumbly Erwin found it difficult to form words, blaming the dryness of his mouth on recent exertion rather than the man before him. “Who are you then, and how do I know you?”

“Levi. I wouldn’t be surprised if you don’t remember me well. I didn’t speak much last time.”

“Well, Levi, it’s nice to meet you again. I apologize for my rudeness.” Erwin held out a hand, which Levi stared at. The moment drew out until Erwin considered putting his hand away, only to have it shaken once, with firm haste by Levi. “Do you come to this park often?” Still trying to discover how he knew the man, Erwin threw out the first of his many questions.

“I do. The wind and air are perfect here.”

Interesting- it was possible Erwin had met him on a run or one of his many visits to the canyon before. But Levi knew his name without being prompted. It was more information than he’d usually share with a stranger in passing. Erwin was puzzling over this when his phone vibrated. Pulling it from the strap on his upper arm Erwin stared at the screen and sighed.

“I’m sorry, Levi, I have to take this. It’s an emergency.”

Levi nodded, unperturbed and, even odder, unsurprised.

“It’s fine. I’m sure I’ll see you again sometime.” With that Levi walked off, heading along the canyon rim trail towards the opposite end of the parking lot. Silently cursing his luck, Erwin answered the call, already striding to his car.

* * *

 

It was a few weeks before Erwin crossed paths with Levi again. On a weeknight this time, when Erwin decided to head to the park after a long day of complicated surgery. With no plans to run, he went to the canyon simply to relax and clear his mind. It was close enough to being on the way home that he’d never needed an excuse before. The parking lot was empty, the park much quieter during the week. Pulling into the perfect parking spot, pleased with this small victory after the draining day, Erwin paused when he noticed a man standing next to the rail of the outlook.

It didn’t seem possible, and yet, it was distinctly Levi. His leather jacket was held in one hand, slung over one side of his back, giving Erwin a view of a simple white t-shirt stretched over powerful shoulders. There was no one else around and Erwin didn’t bother to hide his stare this time. The thin t-shirt looked shadowed on Levi’s upper back, hiding something large and dark that spread across it. The edges of the shadow weren’t easy to pick out, especially when the shape of Levi’s back was so distracting. As he approached, Erwin noticed the scars. Roped and spidering down Levi’s exposed upper arm, ringing the muscle with silvered texture. Ewin settled onto the rail next to him, shifting his eyes to gaze out onto rock faces turned to blazing fire by the dying sun.

“What a pleasant surprise. I didn’t think I’d see you again.” Erwin said.

“Not too surprising. I told you I come here often.”

Erwin chuckled. “Okay, maybe not surprising. But still pleasant. What brings you to the canyon today?”

Levi shifted his weight. “This is a good place to be alone. It’s quiet.”

At the deadpan response Erwin winced internally. Levi had all but told him to get lost, and there was no reason to intrude on another’s solitude, especially when Erwin valued his own so deeply. “I didn’t mean to disturb you. I’ll just go to the other trailhead.” Pushing away from the railing, Erwin turned and took a step back toward the parking lot.

He was stopped by a hand on his arm, a light touch that burned as Erwin spun, the jumpy response resulting in Levi quickly retracting it. “Wait,” Levi assured, “You’re fine.” The words eased some tension from Erwin and he decided to stay. To stand there, with Levi.

Quietly the men observed the canyon, watching the results as the sunset behind them lit it in shifting tones of warmth. Watching as the reds and golds slowly cooled, fading to burnt umber and brown. The air grew cool, and Levi slipped his jacket back on, hiding the scars and the shadows on his back that Erwin hadn’t realized he’d been staring down at. The sky darkened above and around them, and the first pricks of starlight lit the night. Brilliant points in the wide sky.

“It looks different from here.” Levi commented.

“The canyon? Or the sky?” Both were beautiful, and it was impossible to tell which Levi was referring to.

“Both. But mostly the sky.”

“How so?” Erwin wasn’t paying much attention to their conversation, his own focus occupied equally by the evening’s calm and the man standing next to him.

“It’s different from below. And I don’t think the stars ever looked as interesting.”

Now Erwin was paying attention. The strangeness of the answer turned over in his mind. Different from below. What other option was there when viewing the sky? Unable to form the correct question, to place exactly what about the statement made it so odd, Erwin nodded instead.

“I’ve always loved looking up at the stars. But they used to look different to me too.”

Levi bit. “How’s that?”

“Back East they were never so bright. There were never so many. I would still spend plenty of time staring at them though. My father would show me the constellations, he knew all their names and where they would be at different times of year. But I don’t think even he knew how beautiful they were out here, with the Milky Way living up to its name.” Erwin pointed to the sky, his arm tracing the arc where stars already gathered thick, where in minutes’ time the sky would be crossed by blotches of innumerable shades of light in sizes and shapes uncountable. “Back then, all this made me feel very small, looking up at the sky.”

Staring into the sky, grey eyes following the line of Erwin’s outstretched arm, Levi urged him on. “And now?” He turned, leaning lazily on the rail and giving Erwin an almost-smile, probably the closest those sharp features could get to a grin. “How does looking at the sky make you feel now?”

“Huh.” Erwin found the response wasn’t coming easily. He paused, collecting his thoughts. Turning slowly, letting himself catch Levi’s eye to return his gaze, he answered. “It makes me feel alive.” Their gaze held, unspoken understanding passed with eyes alone. “How does it make you feel?” It was only fair that Levi answer, now that he’d been unexpectedly candid with this man. A man, he reminded himself, that he barely knew.

“… grounded.” Levi rolled his shoulders, as though trying to shake a feeling or work out stiffness. “Heavy. Anchored.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

Levi seemed to choose his words carefully. To turn the question over and inspect it fully before forming a response. “No,” he finally said, “not bad. Just different.”

The two men settled back into their places, once again staring out at the blackness below and the glittering brilliance unfolding above as the sky turned from blue to velvet dark, invisible behind the blooming lights. The stars flickered and glowed, some dull, some fiery, drawing their gaze across the upturned bowl of sky, letting it rest everywhere and nowhere as it led their eyes on. “Why don’t you tell me some of those names, Erwin? The ones the stars have.” When Levi spoke it was quiet, a voice that fit the still vastness of the night.

Erwin edged closer, until their shoulders and arms touched, emboldened by the crisp air and the shared beauty of the scenery. He looked around them, with purpose this time, summoning the memories of his father, backyard camping, bonfires burning low on the beach, and boyish curiosity. As his finger traced the constellations slowly, he said their names, the ones he could remember. The ones he couldn’t he traced anyway, watching Levi as the other man’s eyes followed his finger, staring into the beyond.

Together they worked their way through the sky, slowly naming and following the path picked out by white, yellow, and shades of cold blue, burning red. Almost trancelike, their bodies moving closer as the desert cooled further. Every once in a while, Levi would add something to Erwin’s narration, small comments on which stars appeared during certain times of year, when they rose or what direction they led. Levi might not know the names, might be awed by the pictures Erwin painted in their dots, the lines chosen and drawn in the night sky, but he was just as familiar with their workings. Perhaps even more so. They murmured conspiratorially together, heads close, their conversation turning more and more to a language of silent gestures, fleeting touches, knowing glances.

There was no knowing how long they stood, how many seconds stretched until their hands grew cold and Erwin couldn’t ignore the slight tremor in the shoulder pressed to his arm. Looking back at the parking lot some ways behind them, Erwin scanned the dark concrete. His car sat, cold in the perfect spot, closest to where they stood. Alone.

The lot was empty except for his car.

Erwin frowned slightly, forcing his brain to consider the information despite how reluctant he was to focus after such a tiring day.

“Do you want a ride home?” Erwin asked.

Levi turned to see where he was looking, the parking lot, and immediately turned back to the canyon. “No. Thanks. I’m fine.”

Erwin pushed away from the rail, not willing to pry further and nearly overcome by exhaustion as his responsibilities flooded back to mind. “Alright. Have a good night. Can I call you?”

Without looking at him Levi shook his head, dark hair swaying. “I don’t have a phone. But you can meet me here if you like.”

Grunting an affirmation, Erwin heaved a sigh. Nothing could be easy, could it. “Well, I like to run on the weekend. It’s getting hotter, so I’ll be running earlier. Probably finish around 8:30 or 9:00 am on Sunday. We could go to breakfast.”

“Sure. I’ll see you.”

Erwin walked back to his car, clambering in. As he pulled out of the parking lot his eyes never left the dark silhouette of the man standing at the outlook railing, framed in negative by the Milky Way.


	2. Tender

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone stuffs themselves at the closest diner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on [Tumblr](https://ladymacbethsspot.tumblr.com/) where I reblog Eruris, garbage, and post occasional writing (that ends up here).

Sunday finally arrived and with it the freedom of Erwin’s day off. The cool of the night still clung to the plateau as the shadows of scrub and pines licked long over the land in the early morning. On this day Erwin took a trail that wended along the edge of the canyon, looping away from it and coming back to join up with the fissure, providing regular stopping points for photos and scenery. Normally these trails were too busy and he preferred the challenge of those that plunged down into the canyon, but it was early enough to avoid any crowds. Especially on a Sunday morning when many had other business to attend to.

Erwin timed himself in a series of sprints, something he’d never be able to manage with the steep grade of the other trails. Pushing hard, feeling his lungs burn, forcing himself to breathe and hold the breaths deep inside to avoid any cramps, then letting up on his pace and gathering energy for the next split. It was a tough workout in its own way, and Erwin’s blood sang as he ran.

Running, out in the park, passing hardly anyone except other dedicated locals going through their own exercises, the cares and stress of the week slowly burned away. There were no emergencies here, in this moment. No complicated surgeries on beloved family pets. No distressed farm animals. The cries of birds he heard weren’t those of pain, but greetings, small talk between families of finches, the raucous joke-telling of ravens. His mind eased as it always did when he ran, too full of the beating of his heart and the effort of one foot placed in front of the other to dwell on anything else.

As Erwin finished up his run he felt the excitement of endorphins flooding his body. He’d long ago gotten his second wind and the growing brightness and warmth of the day lifted his spirits until he felt that he could continue to run forever. Indefinitely. Until the land was used up and only he remained.

The sight of the concrete platform of the lookout brought him back to reality. Like a magnet, the dark jacket Levi wore drew his eyes immediately. Though he’d just begun to walk his pulse quickened, arousal sparked unbidden, brought on by exertion and the man before him. Levi turned, hearing his footsteps, and Erwin hailed him with a wave.

“I hope you weren’t waiting long.” Checking his watch, Erwin was relieved to see that his estimate had been accurate- it was 8:35.

“Not long. I took a walk myself.” Levi’s eyes scanned him, and Erwin couldn’t help but feel a thrill of excitement as he saw grey eyes sweep slowly up and down, settling briefly on his bare legs and arms before flicking away. “Good. You’ll be ready for breakfast then?” Erwin asked, prompting a nod from Levi. “I’d be happy to drive us both. I’m thinking about a diner that’s not far from here. Unless you’re vegetarian or something- it wouldn’t be much of an option if that’s the case.”

As Levi followed him towards the large pickup that doubled as Erwin’s veterinary practice vehicle, he shook his head, adding, “No. Nothing like that. The diner sounds great.” Momentarily embarrassed by the strong scent of dog that wafted from the sun-warmed upholstery of his truck as soon as the doors opened, Erwin’s insecurity eased when saw how high Levi was going to have to step to get into the passenger seat. Luckily the small smile went unnoticed by his companion and Erwin instead found himself unable to look away as Levi got into the truck. Managing it handily with nothing but strength and grace, Levi’s easy motion was entrancing.

It was only a short drive and with the radio up and a minimal amount of casual conversation the time passed quickly. Erwin pulled up to the diner, a low, white mid-century structure with rounded corners and wavy glass block outlined in neon. The aerodynamic of the 50s, combined with the urge of the desert to paint everything only the brightest of whites and most-neutral of tans to avoid the inevitable fading of a close, hot sun. The strips of red and blue neon were off during the day, making the whole effect less space-age and more touristy. Early on a Sunday they had no trouble getting a table, beating the after-church rush by a mile as they slid onto the shiny robin’s egg blue upholstered booth.

A woman in a short-sleeved blue dress with black details, the server’s uniform, greeted them. Her gum snapped loudly as she asked if they’d have coffee and poured two cups anyway before either Erwin or Levi could answer. As she retreated, having waved at the menus stuck in the napkin holder, Erwin pulled the little caddy of sugar over to himself and emptied a packet into his coffee. Levi blinked, looking around the diner, taking in the checkered tile and the bright stools.

“So, I guess we’ll be having coffee whether we want it or not, huh?” Erwin chuckled, taking a sip of his before adding another half-packet of sugar.

“Guess so,” Levi agreed, taking a menu from the napkin stand and sniffing his own cup, pushing it some distance away, and ignoring it completely before adding, “I’d rather have water though.”

Erwin agreed. The run and the drive had made him thirsty, and he knew that while the coffee was sure to revive him, it would only make him even thirstier later. “I’ll ask the waitress for a pitcher when she comes back. Anything look good to you?” Erwin pointed at the menu Levi was poring over.

Running a finger down the center of the menu, pausing at each item, Levi considered the options. “Is there anything you’d recommend?” He asked, flipping to the back of the menu to read through the types of soda and juice they listed. “Well,” Erwin pulled out a menu of his own- the dessert menu, “They make excellent pie. The malts are great too. And they have an Elvis shake.”

“What is an Elvis shake?”

“It’s peanut butter and banana. Oh- but the dreamsicle one is great too.” Levi shook his head, buried deep in the omelet list.

“I’m getting the steak and eggs. It says it comes with pan fries. What are pan fries?”

“I think they’re breakfast potatoes. Fried with onions and pepper maybe.”

“Huh,” Levi pondered the answer briefly, “I don’t want potatoes. Do you think I can switch those out with something?” Erwin leaned over, inspecting the menu entry. “What would you switch it with?”

“I don’t know. More eggs.” Erwin laughed at the statement- it sounded like a ridiculous breakfast. He stopped when he saw how serious Levi’s face was. The man was not joking. He really intended to order a chicken fried steak and somewhere in the neighborhood of three or four eggs. Shrugging, Erwin responded, “You can try. Eggs are cheap, they probably won’t say no. But I’ll eat the pan fries and just order you extra eggs if that doesn’t work.” Watching Levi consider his offer so seriously almost made Erwin want to laugh again, he looked so stoic. Eventually Levi nodded. “Alright. Let’s do that.” He closed the menu and sat back, content to wait for the server’s return.

“Well if you’re getting all that then I don’t want to be outdone. I’m getting pie. And a shake.” Finally seeing some of the humor in it, Levi gave him a sidelong glance from under dark lashes, shaking his head. “Better you than me, all those sweets would kill me.” A moment later the waitress sauntered by, and they caught her quickly, earning only a single sarcastic eye-roll for their bizarre breakfast order and insistence on a pitcher of water.

When the water arrived moments later Erwin realized how parched he was and felt momentarily bad as he promptly drank half the pitcher, refilling his plastic glass until he finally slowed. Levi didn’t seem to notice, and drank his own water unhurriedly. They chatted, about the décor of the diner. The park they’d met in. The odd way things in the desert froze in time no matter what era they were created in. Their conversation turned to Erwin’s work, and he was surprised to learn that Levi already seemed to know about his veterinary clinic. Though, admittedly, the pungent interior of the truck had probably been a tip-off. There was no time to puzzle out how Levi had gleaned this information, and Erwin swore he didn’t recognize the other man as a client. He was good at remembering faces, and Levi’s thin scar was distinctive. But he was even better at remembering animals, and he assumed Levi would bring it up if he’d had an animal or a pet treated at Erwin’s clinic.

Their food arrived, a multitude of white plates set down on the chrome-edged table. Levi’s steak and eggs, the cooked potatoes presented on a separate plate as requested, additional sunny-side up eggs, a dreamsicle shake, and a large slice of warm blueberry pie topped with a dollop of already-running vanilla ice cream occupied the small table fully, hardly leaving room for their drinks. Erwin watched, amazement growing, as Levi immediately dug into his eggs and steak, cutting up the meat and shoveling it into his mouth. He made no effort to hide his hunger, making swift work of the food like he hadn’t eaten in days. Not wanting to stare or make him feel self-conscious Erwin decided the best thing he could do now was shut up and eat his pie, and he got to it.

Only halfway through his blueberry pie, Erwin noticed that the steak had already vanished. Levi showed no signs of slowing down, picking up the extra plate of eggs and scraping them onto his own.

“Do you want ketchup or hot sauce on those? Salsa maybe?” Erwin asked him, indicating the plain eggs with his blue-stained fork.

Levi made a disgusted face, his eyebrows pulling tight together as he drew his nose up. “No- bad enough that the steak had whatever that crispy crap was all over it.” He cut into an egg, breaking the yolk and spreading it over the cooked white parts.

“You mean the breading?” Erwin took a bite of pie, letting the warm filling stay on his tongue for a moment before chewing his mouthful.

“Yeah. Breading. Oh, that makes sense, it was bread…” Staring down at the yolk running around his plate, Levi contemplated the eggs for a moment.

Swallowing, Erwin shook his head. “It was a chicken fried steak. They’re always breaded. You didn’t know?”

“No.” Levi snapped, eyes flashing and narrow for a split second before he caught himself, easing the harshness of his gaze. “I didn’t know. I’ll guess I’ll have to remember.” Starting again on the eggs, Erwin decided to leave the other man in peace as he ate. It wouldn’t take long at this rate, and Erwin was going to have to pick up his pace if he didn’t want to leave food behind.

The eggs were gone in no time, and Erwin felt a little bad as he paused between bites of pie to sip his shake. It might have been a mistake to order such different flavors- orange dreamsicle didn’t exactly go with blueberry pie, and the sweetness of everything was starting to wear on him. Taking a break from all the treats was the only way, and Erwin helped himself to pan fries to balance things out a little.

“You know, we can order more food if you’re still hungry, Levi.” Eyeing Levi’s empty plate and the way he now sat, fork still ready though the food was gone, Erwin felt a pang of something sharp. A man who could eat so much so quickly must really be starved, and though Levi looked like the picture of health, the empty parking lot at night and the lack of a cellphone came suddenly to mind.

Levi sighed, placing his fork down with finality. “Thanks, but I don’t need more.”

“Are you sure? You’re welcome to some pan fries or part of my pie.”

It was clear from the way Levi avoided his eyes that he did not want any pie, and probably that he was trying to prevent himself from saying anything that might offend Erwin. With a shrug Erwin continued, determined to at least finish the sweets. Levi watched him, looking out the window occasionally at the parking lot heating up in the rising sun. It was not as uncomfortable or awkward as Erwin had feared it might be. Saying little, wearing a neutral expression, Levi didn’t give the impression of judging or being bored. He simply watched, content to wait and sit.

Break the silence, Erwin was almost surprised when Levi spoke. “I’m surprised I found you again.”

“Oh?” Erwin grunted around a mouthful of pie crust.

“Yes. This isn’t my territory, and the circumstances of our last meeting were… disorienting.”

“You mean at the canyon?”

“No, earlier. It was more than a year ago, now. Two falls ago.”

Erwin thought for a moment. So, Levi had met him before, a little more than a year and a half ago, if what he said was true. But the information wasn’t helping him. He still couldn’t place Levi despite his distinctive features, his undeniable attractiveness. What had he been doing that fall? Had he gone to some event? The mention of ‘my territory’ made it sound like Levi had met him here, in town or nearby, and that he wasn’t from the area. The hints teased him, some answer floating just beyond his reach. “I’m sorry, Levi, I still don’t remember our first meeting. I hope you’re not upset but-”

“It’s fine. I wouldn’t expect you to recognize me anyway.” Dark, shiny bangs shook with Levi’s pale face as he cut Erwin off.

Baffled, Erwin stared for a moment. The inability to place Levi’s familiar appearance was bad enough, but to see the man point it out was even worse. He should remember. How could he not? How was it possible that he’d forgotten a man who drew his eye so strongly, who he’d made a special effort to speak with, and invite on a date?

Chewing on a final bite of pie and giving up entirely on the rest of the pan fries, Erwin reluctantly gave up the line of thinking that led nowhere.

When their bill had been paid, the gum-snapping waitress cleared their plates and the two men left the diner. They got back into the car, where Erwin offered to give Levi a ride home. Instead, on his request, Erwin dropped Levi off at the park, back in the familiar parking lot by the canyon outlook.


	3. True

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erwin makes his move and finally figures out why Levi is so familiar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on [Tumblr](https://ladymacbethsspot.tumblr.com/) where I reblog Eruris, garbage, and post occasional writing (that ends up here).

Over the next few weeks Erwin returned to the canyon more often. To run, to take walks, to look at the stars, and to see Levi.

Always to see Levi, whether the man showed up or not.

When he did, Erwin’s breathing would hitch a little, heart speeding. When he didn’t, Erwin looked for him anyway, hoping to spot the flick of dark hair, the dull shine of the leather jacket. Instead he would find himself staring out into the canyon, the dark form of a diving falcon drawing his attention.

Finally, he decided to take the plunge. Levi had eaten with him, gone places in town he’d suggested, given no indication that he didn’t enjoy Erwin’s company. And maybe there was something more. The ease he felt speaking with Levi. The way he would catch flashes of interest, grey eyes bright for a second when they met his own. The casual touches, how their bodies grew closer, an undeniable magnetism. Maybe it was mutual. Fortune favors the bold, and Erwin had always thought he was. It was time to prove it.

They went to a nearby bar, and a few drinks in, Levi agreed to go home with him. 

The journey home made no difference when all Erwin could think about was that he’d somehow tricked this incredible creature into his smelly truck, into his small house, and into his life.

Just over the threshold of Erwin’s tidy little ranch house they found each other, hands groping in the dark until Erwin could turn on a light. They didn’t need it, not when their eyes were closed. They made their way blindly to the bedroom, too focused on mapping out lips, tasting the smooth softness of tongues wrapping together, desperately seeing with touch and taste alone. Managing not to knock anything over they collapsed on Erwin’s bed, the solid weight of Erwin’s body easily pushing Levi down onto the comforter.

Coming up briefly for air from their haphazard tangle of mouths, Erwin pulled away to sit on the bed’s edge. “I can’t believe I forgot to take my shoes off,” he muttered, more to himself than Levi. Collecting himself for a moment, he started to remove them.

“Too distracted by me, Erwin?” A single thin eyebrow arched high as Levi slid to the edge of the bed, bending down to do the same.

“Way too distracted,” Erwin admitted with a sly smile, adding as he looked over at Levi and stared, “still am.” Distracted was wrong- more like mesmerized. By the way Levi’s hair fell over his face while he loosened his laces. By the thin dexterity of pale fingers working at the boots. By the curve of Levi’s neck, strong and proud, as he bent over. And by the hint, where his jacket and gapped at his nape, of something dark, shadows reaching up from his back.

Shoes and socks removed, they looked at each other for a moment, eyes catching and holding in the dim bedroom.

“Do you want to do this?” Erwin asked, the rational part of his mind surfacing.

Levi nodded. “Fuck yes,” he added, shrugging his jacket off and placing it, folded, on the floor, before continuing, “But I don’t… I’m not sure what to call it.” Levi frowned and gnawed on his lower lip, his thought process obvious. “I don’t, I mean, I’ve never… received?”

Erwin’s eyebrows knit as he considered the words. Then, when it became apparent to him what Levi had meant, he nodded. Leaning in, fingers catching Levi’s chin and tilting it up, he watched as Levi’s teeth stopped working at his lower lip and his mouth parted slightly to join Erwin’s. Their kiss was slower this time, more measured as tongues slipped together, teasing and darting. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll ‘receive’ this time- I like it either way.” The words Erwin spoke when their kiss broke, foreheads still pressed together, seemed to ease Levi. Enough that he took advantage of how close Erwin sat, hands pushing at firm shoulders, pushing them back down onto the bed as he straddled Erwin’s lap and pressed warm, open kisses all along Erwin’s exposed neck and jaw.

They grew more insistent, hesitant licks and fleeting kisses turning to wide swaths of wet, traced up the thick cords of Erwin’s neck, the sweep of Levi’s tongue over his Adam’s apple, a bite on the ridge of his jaw. Erwin’s hands found Levi’s waist and slid up under the thin t-shirt, exploring the firm torso and abdomen he’d admired for so many weeks. Levi’s lithe body under his fingers felt as fit as it looked, and Erwin groaned with growing need as Levi’s mouth travelled over his neck, heat and pressure and slip laced with a bittersweet ache where he licked and sucked marks along Erwin’s collarbone and the dips between bone and tendon where his shoulder began.

In between Levi’s thorough exploration Erwin tugged the thin t-shirt higher, until it was hitched up just below his armpits. Erwin laid both palms flat on Levi’s chest, large hands splaying easily across its breadth. With Levi’s head buried in his neck, the brush of silken hair tickling his jaw, his fingers felt out and squeezed the corded muscles, drawing a grunt from Levi that turned to a whine and a sharp bite when his fingers rolled the firm nub of a nipple. Giving the peaked flesh a squeeze made hips roll into his lap, Levi’s tight jeans rubbing friction across the already-stretched fabric at his groin. The pressure was gone as quickly as it came and Erwin stroked and squeezed Levi’s nipple again, meeting and matching his hips with his own as they moved to respond.

Distracted from their aim, Levi’s mouth travelled back until it found Erwin’s, tongues sliding over each other, seeking more. Rubbing desperately- rutting, still fully-clothed. Both momentarily content to savor the tension while starving for more. It was Levi who broke away first, sitting up and pushing Erwin down onto the mattress. He pulled his shirt off over his head, batting Erwin’s hands away when they came up. Undoing the buttons on Erwin’s shirt, tugging it slowly open, he ground down on the hard bulge in Erwin’s pants, pushing eager breaths from them both.

With Erwin’s shirt open, Levi looked down at him. Powerful and possessive, his eyes flashed bright, looking almost gold for a moment as his neck stretched back, surveying his prey from above. The sight took his breath away- Levi straddled across his lap, shirtless and strong, broad shoulders giving way to thick arms, the left smooth and perfect, the right wrapped in uneven jagged silver scars. They turned his body from beautiful to striking, function and use carved across its form. The weight of his solid body over Erwin’s groin made his cock twitch in the confines of his jeans.

Grey eyes swept over him, alighting on his shoulders, scraping slow over his chest and down his abdomen. So heavy Erwin swore he could feel them. So hot they stoked a fire in him, making him flinch wherever they paused, sending tingles across bare skin. When they reached the waistband of Erwin’s pants Levi sat up straighter, leaning back further. He drew a long shiver from Erwin with flashing grey gold eyes as they grazed back up, as though it was Levi’s hand travelling against the grain, following in reverse the trails and spread of blonde hair up Erwin’s abdomen and chest.

What Levi saw, Erwin couldn’t tell, but he seemed pleased by it nonetheless. Enough so that he left Erwin’s lap, kneeling on the bed as he undid the button and zipper of his pants. Wasting no time, Erwin shrugged off his shirt, removing his own pants and underwear as quickly as he could without taking his eyes from the man undressing next to him. He didn’t want to miss a single thing. Not one single inch of pale skin, not one single dark hair escaped his attention as Levi shed his clothes. The dark shadows on Levi’s back were revealed in glimpses as he moved- dense thin lines forming feathers inked across the man’s muscular back. Beautiful.

Seeing the other man naked was enough to make Erwin lick his lips and swallow, the flushed curve of Levi’s cock looked large on his compact body- framed by narrow hips, jutting from dark hair that spilled a widening line from his navel. Erwin tore his eyes away for one excruciating moment. Enough time to stretch an arm out and open the drawer on his bedside table, groping for the bottle of lube he located easily. “I’m clean. Are you? Do we need a condom?” He asked as the brush of his fingers over a wrapper reminded him that they hadn’t done this before.

“I’m clean. We don’t need one if you don’t want it.” Levi’s response made him grin. His fingers closed on the lube and he passed the small bottle to Levi’s outstretched hand.

“How do you want to do this? Our heights might make it a bit…” Erwin trailed off, watching Levi’s face for any reaction. With a shrug and a shake of his head Levi motioned to the pillows at the headboard.

“Just get comfortable. We’ll figure it out.”

Settling back onto the bed, Erwin reveled in the novelty of looking up at Levi as he popped the cap on the little bottle and spread lube over his fingers. As he discarded the re-capped bottle, tossing it aside on the comforter. As he eased Erwin’s legs apart, kneeling between them and placing a hand on Erwin’s hip. Time was thick and slow, watching Levi’s controlled motions. Massaging the tight skin over Erwin’s hipbone, making his abdomen jump as they feathered closer to his groin. Slicked fingers sliding gently over the elastic skin of his balls, cupping them gently before sliding underneath them and massaging the skin behind.

Arching his back, groaning at the pressure, Erwin’s cock bounced. He wanted Levi to move more quickly. He wanted to feel his fingers, their heat, their motion. He wanted to see the hunger in Levi’s eyes unleashed. And he was in luck. The fingers massaging firmly behind his balls moved down further, and in the space of a few heartbeats they found the puckered ring between his cheeks. Levi stroked his entrance, testing its edge with a light pressure, circling his fingers. But not pressing in, not using enough force to do anything but tease.

It was too much. Erwin wasn’t used to waiting so long, wasn’t used to having nothing to do with his hands and his mouth while his lover’s eyes burnt over his exposed body. He reached down, to touch himself or Levi, but his wrist was caught by Levi’s free hand. Levi lifted his hand up, bringing it to his lips, and gave a wicked grin. Grey eyes flashed gold. Levi’s mouth opened. His fingers stroked then pressed, firm, breaching the twitching muscle of Erwin’s asshole. At the same moment he took Erwin’s pointer and middle fingers into his mouth, tongue curling around them as they sank into the wet warmth of his mouth. Erwin groaned and shuddered, adjusting his hips to the stretching feeling of Levi’s fingers, unable to tear his eyes from Levi’s mouth.

Levi’s tongue was thorough. Soft, and slippery, pliant and eager, as it slid over the web between fingers, pushing between. Distracting Erwin from the initial strangeness of being penetrated, easing him quickly into enjoying the sensation as Levi stroked in, pressing deeper. Moving his head in a rhythm, Erwin watched as the pressure and stretch of fingers in his ass was reflected in the sight of Levi’s mouth. When Levi’s fingers scissored apart, testing the walls of his insides, Erwin moved his own fingers, watching. His breath caught when a groan spilled from the man above him, the display becoming an echo of each motion he felt inside.

Pausing, opening his mouth wide, Levi let Erwin take control. Licking his fingers slick as they pressed further into Levi’s mouth, sighing as they felt against slippery skin. Soft lips tightened, sucking at Erwin’s fingers as he moved more slowly. Matching his pace, the fingers inside dragged tempting against his hole. Discovering this newfound power, Erwin increased the pace, sliding fingers back down Levi’s twitching tongue, groaning as Levi pressed firmly into him in response. The secret discovered, Erwin continued, watching his fingers disappear into Levi’s mouth around moans and pressing his cheeks out, each time rewarded by the repeated motion- the same press and stretch in his ass.

Seeing in such detail, with the noises Levi let out around the fulness of his mouth, made Erwin’s heart speed quickly, his body hot. He needed more and wanted it faster, firmer. Pushing a third finger into Levi’s mouth made him shiver as he felt his asshole give way and stretch to accommodate more. It felt incredible. It looked better- Levi as debauched as he felt, a growing trail of spit dribbling down Erwin’s arm. Erwin’s hips rolling to meet each slick thrust of probing fingers.

They each sped up. Moans and slick rhythm layered over panted breaths. They each slid in deep. Until Levi coughed, gagging on too many fingers, too far, too fast. Pausing, Erwin let Levi regain composure. The effort was wearing on him too, he wanted to see more, but he was already wound tight, already desperate for Levi’s cock.

When Levi’s fingers curled up, pressure brushed over the firm spot that sent a shiver of tight bliss through Erwin, making his hand finally slip from Levi’s mouth. Repeating the action, rubbing pleasure into Erwin’s body from within for each stroke, Levi placed Erwin’s hand on his chest, letting it rest with the rise and fall of his breaths. They looked at each other, feeling closer as their eyes met than they could ever be with bodies alone.

As Erwin’s breathing grew more ragged, the motion of his hips more desperate, he couldn’t take the slow in and out of Levi’s fingers any longer. “Levi, I’m ready.” He sighed. “If you don’t put it in now I don’t think I’ll be able to last long.”

Nodding, Levi slipped his fingers out, searching on the bedspread for the bottle of lube. While he uncapped it and spread more over his cock, Erwin found an extra pillow to shove below shaking hips. It took no time for Levi to line himself up, holding his stiff cock so it teased at Erwin’s entrance. Catching the exact moment Levi’s head breached him on the man’s pale face, Erwin groaned with the pleasure he felt below and saw above. One smooth movement, all tightness and pleasure, left Erwin full, but nowhere near content. He urged Levi on, moving his hips until the man above him grinned and pulled out, thrusting back in more firmly.

Levi’s fingers gripped his thighs, pushing them further up and apart, as he began to move in earnest. The rougher pace was welcome after such slow preparation, and Erwin’s hips rolled to meet Levi, seeking the press and friction of his cock inside. They rocked, thrusting together, Levi’s fingers tightening on the meat of Erwin’s thighs. From his vantage point, Erwin watched every movement Levi made, the way sweat glistened on his brow, the twitch of his abdomen with each thrust, the increasingly deep rise and fall of his chest.

The tightness in Erwin increased with each press, and when Levi leaned back slightly, adjusting their angle and rubbing hard past his prostate, he cried out- a desperate wordless thing. Levi’s thrusts grew faster, each stroke brushing past the spot within that drew increasingly louder moans from Erwin’s open mouth. Drawing heat from within and spreading it through Erwin’s body, until he was sure he would burn Levi’s pale skin with it. Pale skin that looked darker around the edges- Levi’s shoulders and heaving sides. Not just looked- it was. The dark marks he’d seen on Levi’s back, the glimpses of feathers tattooed there, had spread. Taking over pale skin, wrapping around his body, lines and shadow consuming him.

Levi reached down, wrapping his still-slick hand around Erwin’s cock, making him jolt. Unable to decide between thrusting into Levi’s hand and pressing his hips down onto Levi’s cock, Erwin whimpered and stared, at the mercy of the man before him. At the mercy of the cock filling him, stroking hot bliss into him. At the mercy of Levi’s tight grip, travelling up and down his precum-messy length. At the mercy of Levi’s body- pale and strong and wrapped in dark, lovely, inked feathers. Erwin saw the twitch in Levi’s abdomen and knew he was close, knew this wouldn’t last much longer. As the coil in his belly strained he raced towards his own release. He looked at Levi’s face as he felt himself tightening around Levi’s cock, concentration and fierce desire written in sharp features, made feral by the thin trace of scar down his cheek. Eyes flashing. Eyes gold.

Erwin opened his mouth. Levi’s hand stroked his cock, thumb passing over its head. He felt the pressure as Levi pushed in deep. And Erwin came, gasping and squeezing. Spilling over Levi’s hand. The waves of his orgasm pulling a groan from the man above as Levi joined him in release. Hips stuttering, warmth filling Erwin, fingers sinking punishingly into his thighs. They came down slowly, both panting, hearts hammering. Letting himself slip out, Levi fell forward, collapsing on Erwin’s chest. Letting himself be pulled up further by Erwin’s arms, until his head rested in the dip of Erwin’s collarbone.

Smiling, Erwin ran a still-shaking hand through Levi’s damp hair. His fingers curled to cradle Levi’s head, brushing the prickle of black hair cut close. The darkness had retreated, the tattoos on Levi’s back no longer reaching around his body. The wings clipped.

But Erwin knew what he had seen. A secret Levi had shown only him. Something precious. Something more to cherish.

* * *

 

Dawn came too soon for Erwin’s liking, light shining in the window of the bedroom. Already bright and warm, not a single cloud to hide its rays. Levi lay, head resting on his sternum, a comfortable weight on his chest. The sun shone white on his skin, eyes covered by a fall of dark hair. The thin line of scar led down his cheek, and Erwin could not look away.

Such a slight shadow it made, the barest hint at its texture. Little more than a seam, a brush stroke made to complement sharp features. His eyes travelled along Levi’s jaw, led down the column of his neck, rising and falling gently with breath. Darkness licked over Levi’s shoulders, spreading across them and down the broad muscles of his back. Black lines, black shadows, innumerable hair-thin marks. Forming the image of feathers. Smaller, less directional ones by his spine, spreading out in either direction from the ridge of bone. Growing as they spread, each row larger than the last. Lines becoming long, graceful in their arc, swooping out. Stretching over his shoulders, reaching down his arms, and stretching down the lines of his sides and back. So detailed it was almost impossible to see where one feather began and another ended. Dark wings painted on a canvas of pale.

Such intricate design suited Levi. Their elegance complemented his body, their beauty matching his form. Only on one arm were they marred, twisted and interrupted by the roping lines and raised scar tissue. Gashes, cut deep and healed awkwardly, splitting the ends of feathers and smudging their delicate lines beyond recognition. Winding their way down, further than the tattoos reached, covering the whole of Levi’s upper arm with rugged texture and jagged silver trails.

Erwin’s hand came up, fingers brushing over the marred skin. Their raised texture was different than the rest of Levi’s skin. His fingers caught where it knotted, they slid along the shadowed furrows, and paused at each gouge and cleft. Beautiful black wings, supply smooth skin, neither could escape unbroken whatever injury had caused these marks.

Fingers growing still, a memory bubbled up from the depths of Erwin’s mind.

A bird. No, a falcon.

Its wing bent at an unnatural angle, white and black feathers matted and slick with blood. The animal had been found and brought to his clinic, thrashing and screaming as it was transported, as it was held still for examination. Wickedly curved beak open and razor sharp, twisting to reach the leather-gloved hands that held it in place while Erwin examined it. Its cries piercing, bloodcurdling when he had felt gently at its damaged wing, locating the break before checking it for other injuries. He had splinted the wing, doing all he could to keep thin bones in place where they could knit. And finally, exhausted, the falcon had stopped struggling. Instead staring fiercely at him, with bright golden eyes.

A thin cut traced down its face.

Levi opened his eyes, flinching under Erwin’s hand, tensing at the touch.

“Good morning.” Erwin murmured, stroking scars absently, searching for traces of the falcon in Levi’s face. The wariness eased back out of Levi’s shoulders, unwinding slowly as fingers travelled over skin.

“You remember.” It wasn’t a question when Levi said it. It was a fact.

“I do. I mended this wing. A small falcon, a peregrine, if I’m not mistaken.” Levi nodded into his chest, rolling his cheek and mussing the blond hairs there. “It was a nasty break. You couldn’t complete your migration that year. The raptor rescue kept you for quite a while.” Erwin let out a long sigh, watching the level of Levi’s head lower as his lungs emptied. “I’m sorry I did such a poor job.” His fingers pressed lightly on the scar tissue ringing Levi’s bicep.

Levi snorted and looked up at him. His eyes were still golden, the grey having slid away and hidden elsewhere. “I’m not complaining. I would have died.”

“Why didn’t you come back before?”

Stretching his arm out, turning his shoulder, Levi showed it to Erwin. The skin marred all the way around, how far the thick welted bands reached up and down over his bicep, across his elbow, licking onto his lower arm in thin trails. The sun’s light shone on its ridges and shadow pooled in its notches. Erwin took in the sight, struck by its strangeness, its broken artistry. A form twisted but given context. A mark of fate that brought them together.

“I had to prove to myself that I didn’t need to come back. My migration was interrupted, so I had to know that I could do it again. To see if I had healed.”

“And?”

“I had. I did it last fall and this spring. It was hard. It’s not as easy to fly as it was before the break. I had to become stronger than I was back then. It will never be effortless, or totally natural, but that doesn’t matter. It’s enough.”

Laying his arm back down over Erwin’s side, Levi’s hand came to rest on the bed. Erwin caught it, twining their fingers together, noticing how small Levi’s looked in his own.

“I’m still sorry, Levi. You deserve more. Let me make it up to you.”

* * *

 

That summer Erwin was as good as his word and better. They met often, spending cold nights in the warmth of each other’s embraces. Loving, and learning each other in a language universal.

With fall came the shortening of days, a wind, and a building chill. The high desert got colder than one might expect, and Erwin knew he could not fight nature. One day he came to the canyon at their usual time, but Levi was not waiting. There was no man standing by the rail edging the drop. No signs of a small, strong figure, stark in black and white against the blue sky and red earth.

Stepping to the end of the overlook, leaning over to look at the canyon, something caught Erwin’s eye. Dark wings, folding back as a falcon dove below. Spreading, as it pulled out of the dive and circled up until it was high in the air. Gliding away, a dark smudge suspended in an endless sea of blue. Heading south. Migrating.

It sent a pang through Erwin’s heart, but only for a moment. The sadness was still acute, but it was laced with something else. Something sweet. As sweet as anticipating a breakfast of blueberry pie washed down with orange dreamsicle shake.

The knowledge that Levi had made this trip before.

That he had found his way back to Erwin once already.

 

And that, in a few months’ time, he would do it again.


End file.
